I will start by saying that I listened to the audiobook for this, and I thought that it was really well done. The narrator is great, and it felt like a production with the little sound effects added like the crackle of the walkie talkie.

As for the story itself, the plot was promising and I was very invested for like the first quarter of the book. However, once Grady made it to the island, I feel like it very quickly became obvious what was happening. Maybe not every single piece of the puzzle, but the whole reveal with the wife being at the island and all the islanders trying to make Grady seem crazy felt obvious to me. This made the lead up to the reveal at the end feel too long and drawn out.

I actually really enjoyed this one! I figured there was something with the wife but I couldn’t actually figure out what was going on without the author explaining it for me. Weird little island but a good story!

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney is another tame mystery book that tells a story of an author being sent to a remote Scottish Island to write another book. This island has a population of 25 people, with a ferry to the island that only sails to the mainland a few times a week. He will be staying in a home to a late bestselling author in hopes to find inspiration to complete another novel. This all happens at the same time as his wife is on his way home to celebrate another best selling novel with him but disappears before she arrives home. I don't think this book was as strong as the author's previous book while the narrator wasn't the best story teller either. His voice was very dull and lacked suspense. Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advance copy of the audiobook of Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney.

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney

What in the plot twists did I just read?! I absolutely loved this book- and I didn’t see any of the plot twists coming!

No spoilers here, you have to read this book to see for yourself., you will be STUNNED!

5/5 ⭐️

#fiction #thriller #slowburn #alicefeeney #beautifulugly #newreleases

there were parts of this that I loved, parts that I hated, and parts that I was just straight up confused.

in Beautiful Ugly, bestselling author Grady goes to a Scottish island after the disappearance of his wife, hoping to escape the past and find his voice again.

but when a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife appears, his reality begins to gets confusing.

the story idea had so much potential but it just fell a little flat for me.

3.75 Stars

Pros: suspenseful plot, atmospheric scenery, excellent narration, intriguing setting and side characters, good "keep you guessing" mystery, well executed plot twist

Cons: annoying main characters, drawn out storyline (way longer than it needed to be), unbelievable backstory, upsetting plot twist

But my biggest annoyance? (without spoiling anything there)... Sweeney delivers a satisfying "ending" to this story, only to undo it in a "that wasn't really the end this is" final scene that I personally didn't care for at all.

This story and setting had great potential but it just felt "overdone." Everything was taken a bit too far to the point of being unbelievable. I'm still rounding it to 4 because the story did keep me coming back for more and I appreciated the unique approach. The audiobook sound effects and dual voice actors were the cherry on the cake for this one- I'm not sure I would have even finished had I been reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger Warnings: abuse, psychological torture, child molestation (not graphic)

“This isn’t a cult, it’s a community.”

I think the same could be said for Alice Feeney’s books. This was a delightfully dark thriller with a hint of sociopolitical insight and a whole lot of revenge. I had numerous quotes where I relistened over and over again to make sure to get them down. Not only was it well done with some anticipation, it was also well narrated. Grady was an unfavorable main character who is grieving the loss of his wife, but there is almost a haunting quality of this mysterious woman who looks like his wife resurfacing. I recommend the audiobook if you enjoy a suspenseful listen.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy of this audiobook!

I didn’t love this one, but I didn’t hate it. There were so many unrealistic and ridiculous things that happen in this book and that’s outside of the ludicrous plot twists… I almost DNF’d this one, but I hate doing that and also got this as an ALC so I continued on. It wasn’t the worst thriller I’ve read, but wasn’t my favorite. There was so much filler in this that made it feel like nothing was happening and that’s where it began to lose me. None of the characters were likable and I wasn’t invested in them. It had potential, but fell apart for me.

Now for some good, the audiobook itself was done pretty well. I felt like there were some subtle sound effects that added to the scene setting and made the story feel more eerie.

Grady Green’s wife, Abby, disappears one night after pulling over to help someone on a lonely road—and a year later, he’s still wrecked, unable to write, and completely unraveling.

Hoping for a reset, he escapes to a remote Scottish island... but then he sees a woman who looks exactly like Abby. Is it really her? Is his mind playing tricks? Or is something far more sinister going on?

Creepy, emotional, and full of “what is happening?!” energy, this one had me holding my breath until the final twist snapped everything into place.
Thank you to NetGalley, Alice Feeney, and Flatiron Books for the chance to read this haunting and twist-filled ARC!

I just love everything that Alice feeney touches. She can do no wrong in my eyes and I loved the twist in this one.

I enjoyed the beginning of this book. The mystery of Abby's death, and her missing body was intriguing. I wanted to find out exactly what happened and why. But as the book progressed, it fell flat. It became repetitive, and predictable. Everything seemed cultish in the end. The twist was nothing if you pay attention to the the lead up.

Thank you to NetGalley, and Macmillan Audio for an advanced listening copy of this book.

I did not expect that. It blew my mind. I'm still trying to grasp what I just read. Throughout my life, I've read a lot of thrillers with many twists. Beautiful Ugly surprised me with many unexpected twists, which I loved. There were a few twists that were more believable than others. I even went back and re-read it to be sure I got it right. Beautiful Ugly had everything I enjoy in a thriller, with the story keeping you on the edge of your seat until the end. I could not stop turning the pages

I have a sort of love/hate relationship with Alice Feeney books. They are incredibly readable. I listened to this one in a day because I was dying to figure out all the twists at the end. With that being said, will I remember this book in a year? Probably not. I thought it was entertaining for what it was, the setting of a remote island with all the inhabitants being slightly creepy, probably with a chip on their shoulders about something. It made it hard to stop listening to the book because I could not wait to figure out how it all came together. I did enjoy the themes in this book regarding men and their impact on women, and I enjoyed all the twists. Some were a bit predictable, but most weren’t. Feeney always does a great job of incorporating little morsels that make the twists seem more believable than other authors. That being said, it was a like, not a love for me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced listening copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

Another Twisty Thriller from Alice Feeney!

The story follows Grady Green, a once-successful author whose life unravels when his wife disappears on the same night he achieves his greatest ambition. A year later, he has lost everything—his wife is gone, his career has stalled, he can’t write, and he’s homeless. Just when he’s at his lowest, his agent, Kitty, offers him a lifeline: a secluded cabin on a tiny island off the Scottish coast, a place where he can finally find peace and, hopefully, inspiration.

Grady jumps at the chance, but the island is not what it seems—nor are its mysterious inhabitants. And then there’s the eerie presence of a woman who looks just like his missing wife. Is she real, or is his mind playing tricks on him?

While a few moments in the story felt a bit too fantastical for my taste, they were rare, and overall, this was a gripping and suspenseful read. The characters are compelling, and the atmosphere is thick with tension, making for an immersive and unsettling experience.

Recommended for fans of dark, twisty thrillers!

I loved this twisty mystery! It kept me intrigued and on the edge of my seat throughout the entire book! The audio in particular was great with the way the utilized two different narrators, and sounds effects to make you feel like you were there in the island with a birds eye view! I definitely didn't see that ending coming! Outstanding wrap up!

Thank you, NetGalley, for an audio-ARC of Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney, narrated by Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton.
As a big fan of Alice Feeney, I will read anything she writes and was excited for a new release. True to Feeney's style, she creates a mystery that encourages you to keep turning pages. Compared to her other novels, this one fell a bit flat and left me less engaged. The characters fell flat, and the twists were odd to say the least. I did enjoy the narrators. Richard Armitage is a classic for Alice Feeney audiobooks. Tuppence Middleton isn't the regular female narrator for Alice Feeney, but she did well with her tone and speed.

Another solid read from Feeney! Excellent narration and characters you can't help but dislike-- a hallmark of a good thriller!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a fun book to read. I really enjoyed the twists and turns, and I was very satisfied with the ending.

This book is about Grady Green and his wife, Abby. It focuses on her disappearance and Grady trying to pull his life back together after a year of mourning. He's sent to an island to work on his newest novel and there he finds out that not everything is as it seems. We get to read from two different POV's, Grady's in present day and Abby's the weeks before her disappearance. I felt that the characters were believable, interesting, and fun to follow.

The narrator did a wonderful job. This is the first book I've read by Alice Feeney, but it won't be my last.

4.5/5 stars. Really loved this one and it kept me intrigued until the end. I knew there’d be another twist at the very end, an Alice Feeney special. Can’t wait to find out how the adaptation plays out!

Alice Feeney’s Beautiful Ugly is a gripping psychological thriller that delves into the complexities of marriage, grief, and the elusive nature of truth. The story follows Grady Green, a bestselling author whose wife, Abby, mysteriously disappears during a phone call. A year later, Grady retreats to a remote Scottish island to find solace and inspiration but becomes ensnared in a web of eerie events and unsettling discoveries. The audiobook, narrated by Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton, enhances the suspenseful narrative with their compelling performances, bringing depth and nuance to the characters.

This book was an experience - the narrators' delivery made it immersive and intense, and the twisty plot made the story very engaging. However, when the story is by design a puzzle box-type mystery, part of the entertainment is being able to figure out the mystery - but you can't do that when you're not given all of the information, like the author with this book! I had to rewind the part of the story that revealed the 'ending,' for lack of a better word, just because I couldn't believe that that was the actual ending - how could it be, since a GIANT PART was NEVER given to the reader?! This really upset me, and poor Richard Armitage, who had to deliver such a wallop.

The story was brilliant, up until the end. Then you'll want to just lose it...it wasn't even a good ending, either. What were you thinking, Alice?!